The Doctorate is in
by awesomeaquarius
Summary: When mutilated bodies begin to turn up in Virginia, the team begins to suspect that the Unsub is targeting individuals that are doctors in their specific fields but is that all whom he's targeting? Meanwhile...Morgan begins to feel a little jealous when Reid's childhood friend Ethan comes to town and neither man will be ready for the reason Ethan returns! Team Case/Fic...
1. Jason Peacock

**Author's Note: This story takes place during Season Nine between the episodes _Fatal_ and _Angels_. This story popped into my head two days ago and I decided to get it out before I forgot it lol...also I am so starved for Morgan/Reid friendship on the show...they do not really focus on this relationship anymore and I have my theories as to why but anyhow...**

**I do not own Criminal Minds or it;s main characters, I just really love the show! Any original characters or story plots do belong to me.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Woodbridge, Virginia<p>

12:57 AM

It was a dark and stormy night and State Trooper Jason Peacock was doing his usual nightly patrol along Blackburn Road which ran through Neabsco Creek. The large wooded area was secluded and attracted a large array of illegal hunters, dumpers and kids messing around.

Despite the nuisances of patrolling such an area, Jason, being one of the youngest troopers on the squad, at the age of twenty-three, did not mind being assigned the route no other trooper wanted because the seclusion allowed the youngster to keep his two secrets...his love of rap music and that for the past 6 months, an affair with his pregnant fiance's best friend! Jason knew that either secret had the potential to bring equal part scandal to the small rural town, where the most exciting thing that ever happened was the Potomac Mills Mall and the Halloween Pumpkin Festival that only had 2 rides, one of which breaking down last year.

"When are you going to tell her Jason," The female voice coming from the other end of the department issued cell phone that was just for business calls was loud and forceful in the ear of the young patrol officer.

"C'mon Amy, we talked about this...once Jessica has the baby-"

"That's what you always fucking say! First, it was wait until we move out of her mothers house, then it was... wait until I become a state trooper! I'm tired of waiting, you said you were going to be with me and you would tell Jessica and that was months ago!

Between the loud sound of the heavy rain hitting his windshield, loud thunder roaring through the night sky, loud rap music blasting on the radio and the loud mistress blasting on the cell phone...Jason was distracted! So distracted in fact, that he did not notice the movement off to his left, a dark figure moving swiftly through the rain and fast approaching his vehicle!

"Why are you trippin' Amy, huh?" started Jason. "You knew what you were getting yourself into when we got together. Why are you pushing this all of a sudden."

There was a few long moments of silence on the other end, followed by...

"...Because...I'm mm pregnant! I'm going to have your baby y Jason!"

Jason was shocked and speechless! Not just because, he was told that the woman he had been carrying on an affair with had been taking birth control but because he had no intention of leaving his fiance to be with her! Before Jason could respond...a loud thud hit the hood of his blue patrol car!

THUDDDD!

Jason who had not been looking at the road instinctively looked up and into the face of a hooded figure who was soaking and wet from the rain and covered in a long dark rain coat .

All Jason could make out was the person's eyes and it was eyes he would never forget! Jason immediately got terrified, thinking that he had just hit a innocent pedestrian...

"Amy, I gotta go!"

"What-"

Jason hung up the phone and through it into the passenger seat and hopped out of his 2013 Ford Taurus with the words State Police embedded in bold blue writing on the driver side door still visible in the turbulent weather. Jason pushed up his large round Campaign hat that sat on top of his head, as he approached the stranger, he had almost just ran over.

"Heyyy, I'm sorry I didn't see you! What are you doing out here...did your car break down-"

The stranger took off running into the woods and night weather...

"Wait," shouted Jason. "Do you need to go to the hospital or something?" The dark figure moved swiftly and was completed out of the officer's sight.

Jason could not believe the night he was having so far...but what he didn't know was it was about to get much worse! As he walked back to the driver's side door, he waved it off as some kid that out here fooling around and didn't want to get into trouble.

Just as he grabbed the door handle, a light off to the left caught his eye.

"Hello? Who's there?"

Jason began to walk closer to the area where he saw the glint of light. He pulled out his flashlight and put his other hand on his holster. The rain continued to pour down, which made it difficult to see much of anything. as Jason slowly approached what he had seen from the road...he could make out that it appeared to be some sort of plastic tarp. He begin to relax as he figured the guy from the road was probably trying to set up a tent from the rain...but then why had he run?

Jason knelt down to further inspect and at that exact moment...

BOOM!

Jason spun around with his gun and went from side to side with his heart beating through his chest!

"Ha-ha," Jason burst out laughing at himself when he realized it was just some thunder and that's when he saw the hand!

Jason swallowed hard as he felt the instant need to vomit...

He knelt back down and slowly pulled back the tarp and began to...scream!

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><p>Friday<p>

Quantico, Virginia

4:45 PM

It was a relevantly quiet day at the Behavioral Analyst Unit of the Federal Bureau of investigation. The team had just returned from a grueling case in Long Beach, California in which the Unsub, William Harding, was obsessed with Greek mythology and used arsenic to kill his victims.

They were all drained and looking forward to the weekend!

Supervisory Special Agents Jennifer "JJ" Jareau and Alex Blake were sitting around the bullpen talking about their weekend plans.

"Will finally was able to get us reservations to Plume. It's this five star restaurant located in DC. Their food is to die for," said the beautiful blonde.  
>Blake nodded in approval. "Sounds nice! James and I are just going to snuggle on the couch all weekend and watch a marathon of House Hunters. "<p>

"I love that show," chimed in JJ.

Just then SSA David Rossi came walking by the ladies, dressed sharply in a black and grey Italian made suit. The two women teased the oldest and most veteran member of their team with whistles and cat calls.

"Who's the lucky lady," asked Blake.

"You mean this time," laughed JJ.

"Ha ha very funny," started Rossi. "I am actually meeting Ringo for a guy's night out in Atlantic City."

"Mmm-hmm," JJ smirked.

"...and then he and I are picking up two nice brunettes!"

JJ and Blake burst into laughter.

"There's the Rossi, we know and love," said Blake.

SSA Derek Morgan had his go bag draped over his shoulder with his right hand and was staring down at his phone with his left. His girlfriend of the past few months Savannah had just texted him to say she was called into work and would have to cancel their plans.

The brown-skinned muscular agent sucked his teeth under his breath and looked up and came face to face with his teammate and good friend resident genius SSA Dr. Spencer Reid.

Morgan hated that he and Reid had not been as close as they once were, as life seemed to have gotten in the way but he figured his now open schedule could correct this...

"Hey Pretty Boy, you wanna go to the batting cages and knock a few back with me?" Morgan ran up to the tall slender agent, whose hair was cut in style where the curls draped his face.

Reid, whose was reading a case file from a San Francisco consult he was doing, replied without even looking up..."Sorry Morgan, I'm picking up my friend Ethan, he's coming into town and I'm meeting him at the airport. Call Savannah or Garcia, I'm pretty sure you'd a great time with either one of them."

Reid kept walking to his cubicle, without even noticing the sad expression on his colleague's face.

"Hey, my chocolate dipped Adonis!" The BAU's Technical Analyst and closet confidante to Morgan, Penelope Garcia came walking up in her flowery dress, purple heels and jewelry draping all over her short stout frame.

"Did I just get the cold shoulder," asked Morgan, while he still stared in Reid's direction.

"From Boy Genius," Garcia frowned her face in confusion. "Never that, Reid adores you. Anyway, I'm off to London! Emily invited me to the annual Streetfest that they have around this time of year, I'l send her your love, I hate to run out so fast but I'm trying to catch my plane before Hotch shouts the words..."

"Team, we have a case! Conference room please." Unit Chief SSA Aaron Hotchner stood dressed in his grey tailored suit, shouting down from atop the staircase leading to the BAU conference room, where they gathered to present the cases they would be spending the next several days solving.

"What!" Garcia growled. "We were 15 minutes to freedom!

"With this job baby-girl, we're never free," replied Morgan.

As the other agents marched off to the Conference room, they each resigned to the fact that they would have to cancel their long awaited plans.

"I guess, I'm calling Will," said JJ.

"...and I'm calling James," added Blake.

"I'll only call Ringo, I don't want to give up on the brunettes just yet," Rossi joked, sort of.

Hotch waited for each member of the team to take a seat at the round table before starting, their case files and tablets were already placed on the table, he pressed a button on the white remote in his hand and images filled the large plasma screen that was mounted to a wall in the middle of the room.

"Virginia State Police need our help," Hotch was the only one standing as he narrated the slides on the big screen. "Four days ago in Woodbridge, Meredith Ricci reported her husband Dr. Stanley Ricci missing. He told her he was going golfing but he never returned. The local authorities did not take it to seriously."

Images of the victim's driver license populated on screen.

"They figured, he probably run off with a mistress and would show up," Hotch continued. "Last night, at approximately one am, Dr. Ricci did turn up and this is what was left of him." Hotch pressed another button and images of the victim's decomposed body now flooded the screen.

The team members squirmed in their seats at what they saw...

Garcia turned away in disgust, "Warn a girl next time!"

"His brain was removed," said Blake aloud."

"A doctor whose brain was removed...well that's no coincidence," Rossi joined in.

"The Unsub is clearly sending a message," said JJ.

"Yes, by ripping out the brain, he's literately removing the victim's intelligence, his skill as a physician even," said Blake.

"Yeah, by saying 'your not so smart now, look what I did to you'," added in JJ.

Reid, who so far had been quietly analyzing the case file in front of him, which contained all of the photos and information being displayed on the monitor, finally spoke. "If the Unsub is keeping the brain as some sort of trophy, this could also symbolize him coveting the victims knowledge, which could mean that either he tried to be a doctor in his own life and failed or that he once was one and is no longer."

Morgan turned to Hotch, "We should also not rule out the possibility that the victim knew his attacker, removing someone's brain is overkill...which makes it personal."

"Were there signs of sexual assault," asked JJ.

Hotch circled the table.

"It doesn't appear to be, however it was a rainstorm last night in Woodbridge, so most of the crime scene and trace evidence had been washed away."

"Forensic counter measure," pointed out Blake.

"The ME did find small traces of a secondary DNA, located on the victim's abdomen," continued Hotch. "The victim was discovered partially wrapped in a plastic tarp, which was the reason why the DNA had not washed off."

"What type of DNA," asked Morgan.

"Semen," answered Hotch very matter of fact. "Their running it through CODAS but I doubt we will find a match."

The team looked at one another, as they knew that only meant one thing...

"A sexual sadist," said Rossi.

"I'm with Reid about the Unsub having medical training," Rossi continued speaking and shifted in his chair. "Do you have any idea how difficult it must be to cut through a person's skull?"

Reid lit up, as he always did whenever he was about to educate the team on a vast amount of vital statistics!

"Extremely! The adult skull consists of two parts of different embryological origin–the neurocranium and the viscerocranium. The neurocranium is a protective cranial vault that surrounds the brain and brain-stem. The viscerocranium is formed by the bones supporting the face, the skull protects the brain from damage through its hard unyieldingness; the skull is one of the least deformable structures found in nature with it needing the force of about 1 ton to reduce the diameter of the skull by 1 centimeter."

Off the amused faces of the other team members ..."Exactly what I was about to say," joked Rossi.

"He had him for four days...why?" Blake looked up from her tablet.

"That's what we need to figure out...we're off to Woodbridge-" spoke Hotch but he was interrupted by Rossi.

"Wait...only one body and we're being called in already?"

"When Lieutenant Whitaker who heads the Bureau of Criminal Investigations at the Virginia State Police contacted me, I agreed to take the case because he and I agree on several major factors...for starters the victim is a well respected surgeon within his community, people want answers and they want them fast and it's only a matter of time before panic and pandemonium set in...this is a small rural blue collar town, they have a shoot first and ask questions later mentality and the last thing we need on our hands is a bunch of scared townsfolk with guns, playing vigilante. The VSP is also worried about a potential public relations nightmare."

JJ was the first to ask, "Why?"

"The victim was discovered by one of their own, Officer Jason Peacock, which is why the Virginia State Police is heading the investigation. Seconds before he discovered the victim, he believes he also encountered the Unsub fleeing the scene. Officer Peacock had only been on the force for 6 months and they want to make sure that they have all of their basis covered."

Morgan placed his tablet back on the table and chimed in. "I get it! If the media gets a hold of this they will spin it that rookie cop lets killer of a prominent doctor get away."

"...but if the officer encountered the Unsub before he discovered the victim, he would not have known that was our killer. He can't be blamed for that," said Rossi.

"You know politics Dave, someone is always to blame," said Hotch who had his arms folded.

Blake started shaking her head..."That doesn't make any sense, to leave an eyewitness and a cop no less. Everything about this Unsub profiles like a organized offender but leaving an eyewitness is very disorganized. This was a dark and secluded area, he could have easily taken out Officer Peacock, why didn't he?"

"Maybe, he was unarmed but Officer Peacock had his weapon and he didn't want to initiate an altercation under those odds," said JJ.

"We will not be taking the Jet, since Woodbridge is only 20 minutes North-"

"Um, actually it is 21 minutes, fourteen point zero miles," Reid corrected Hotch and continued. "Twenty-seven minutes, seventeen point zero miles, if you take Russell Road to I-95."

Reid looked at Hotch's stern face and looked down.

Your Tahoe's are waiting for you downstairs. JJ, you will be meeting with Mrs. Ricci, she is expecting you at her home. Rossi and Morgan, I want you to go to the crime scene, there you will be meeting with both Lieutenant Whitaker and Officer Peacock. Reid, I want you to go to the Medical Examiner's office and view the body. Blake, you will be setting up at the Prince William County Police Station, there you will be meeting with Special Agent De La Rosa, with the BCI Unit. Garcia, I want you on victimology...I want to know everything there is to know about this Dr. Ricci, any Malpractice suits, any disgruntled ex-patients or co-workers, I want to know the name of all his high schools girlfriends and who they were sleeping with and who they were sleeping with. Do not leave any stones un-turned."

"Got it sir," replied Garcia.

"Your not coming Hotch," asked Morgan.

"I am but I have something to take care of first. We will all regroup and meet up at the Police Station at need to act fast because the level of blood-lust and skill, precision and articulacy shown by this Unsub leads me to believe that we will either discover more bodies or that he will kill again because this level of violence is certainly something one works up to but definitely does more than once...wheels leave in twenty!


	2. The State Department

**Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for your views and faves and follows and reviews! I have a lot of fun ideas planned for this story and I hope you all stick around for it! You guys are the best!**

**I do not own Criminal Minds or it's main characters, I just really love the show! Any original characters or story plots do belong to me.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Whenever a doctor cannot do good, he must be kept from doing harm.<br>-Hippocrates

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><p>North Interstate 95<p>

5:26 PM

The members of the BAU sans Hotch and Garcia were all heading north on I-95 making the twenty minute plus journey to Woodbridge and their individual destinations.

The 3 large black Bureau standard issued 2015 Chevrolet Tahoes were traveling together, trailing each other in a single file. SUV #1 housed both Rossi and Morgan...Rossi being behind the drivers seat. SUV #2 carried both Blake and Reid, with the doctor sitting in the passenger seat. Hotch had assigned Reid his own vehicle but everyone knew that Reid hated to drive because he was terrible at it. Blake would drop Reid to the ME's office, once they got to Woodbridge and Rossi and Morgan would pick him up, once they left the crime scene. Finally, the 3rd SUV bringing up the rear carried a lone JJ.

The entire team was having a phone conference with Hotch, who was back in his own office and Garcia, who was sitting in front of her station, which was located in her very own IT room.

"Garcia, please give us some background on Woodbridge, if you would please," said Hotch, who was sitting at his large oak desk filling out some paperwork.

"Your wish is my command, my liege," answered Garcia, in an upbeat tone.

The other team members could easily hear the voices of Garcia, Hotch and one another through the SUV's state of the art Intercom system.

Garcia chewed on the top of her number 2 pencil and then started to brief the team on what she had researched on the small town...

"Belonging to Prince William County, this very small area of land consisting of 10.5 square miles with a small population of about four thousand-"

"Four thousand fifty-five Garcia," added Reid.

"...Why thank you, my resident genius," Garcia continued on. " Woodbridge was established as a town sometime in the Nineteen hundreds, after being a municipality composed largely of either farms and industrial complexes. The 2010 census reconfigured Woodbridge so that the majority of its land area was re-designated Marumsco and Neabsco, Virginia. The town has a total of seven public high schools, ten elementary and middle schools, one mall and one hospital...Sentara Virginia Medical Center, which is where our victim worked for the past 20 years after he and his wife migrated there from Nevada. Guys, I don't blame these residents for freaking out, this town has not seen anything like this in decades, unless you count the Potomac river which borders the town, bad things happen there all the time...it's like a serial killer dumping ground."

"Garcia," Reid interrupting the analyst's rant. "What is the socioeconomic breakdown of the town now?" His leather messenger bag hung loosely off his shoulder.

Garcia clicked away on her keyboard..."Well Superboy, thanks to a development boom in the mid-1980's and a I-95/ I-66 HOV waiver given to hybrid vehicles, many D.C. government workers have relocated to the area to take advantage of the lower-priced housing, so I would say mostly suburban."

"Garcia, what were you able to find out about the victim," asked Blake.

"That he was the world's nicest man. He was born and raised in Nevada, served 4 years in the United States Navy, just like his father before him, who died tragically in the Vietnam War. He graduated from John Hopkins and in 1984 he married a Diane Meredith Nichols, also from Nevada, who he has been happily married to for the past 30 years. He and his wife donated to countless charities, he did a lot of pro-bono work...he even took several years off to work for Doctors without Borders."

Blake made a metal note to ask her husband if he was familiar with the victim, as James had been working for Doctors without Borders for the past several years.

"Any children, Garcia," JJ asked while looking down at the speaker.

Garcia slightly tilted her head, "No! I guess he was too busy saving other people's family to start his own."

Everyone got quiet, as they could certainly relate to that. The only two team members with children were Hotch and JJ and it was very difficult to balance parenthood and their careers.

"I know I just started my search but so far I have not come up with any red flags in the victim's life and by red flags, I mean anything that would make a psychopath wanna rip out his brain."

Hotch interjected. "Keep digging Garcia."

"Do not fear my crime fighters. I will not stop until my little fingers uncovers a Pandora's Box! Garcia out!"

With a loud click, Garcia had disconnected from the conference.

Morgan who was wearing a pair of black designer sunglasses, decided to share what had been plaguing him since they left Quantico.

"Hotch, something Blake said back at the office, has been bothering me since we left. It truly doesn't make sense for this Unsub to have left Officer Peacock alive. I mean a town that has a little over four thousand people, everybody knows everybody. He took a huge risk that he wouldn't be recognized and I know that JJ theorized that he wasn't armed but he had something on his side that Officer Peacock did not...the element of surprise " Morgan's deep voice echoing off the intercom speakers.

Hotch stood up..."I've been thinking about that too Morgan and you're right, it would only make sense if either he wanted to be recognized, which he clearly did not because he fled the scene or if he was absolutely certain that he wouldn't be."

Rossi spoke this time "...and the only way he could be certain of that is..."

Reid finished Rossi thought..."If he wasn't from Woodbridge!"

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><p>2374 Landon Trail, Chesapeake, Virginia<p>

Mar-com research faculty

5:31 PM

Dr. Sabrina Reynolds knew she had to find a way to escape! Especially after what she had seen him do to that nice old man! She could still see it fresh in her mind...the screams...the blood!

Even though she was woozy from whatever he had been giving her, she could still formulate her thoughts and she was thinking about all of the people in her life that she wished she could be with right about now...her mother, her students, her colleagues, her Yorkie Fido and Damien! She missed Damien, she knew he had to be worried about her! She was on her way to meet up with him when...when that sonofabitch had pretended to be lost that night on the campus but she trusted him, she had seen around there many times, even in her class.

Sabrina looked down as she tried to move but she could see that her hands and feet were restrained with some type of cord and she was tied to what she believed to be a silver gurney!

"Somebody help me!" Sabrina screamed as loudly as she could but the sound barely came out and she begin chocking and foaming at the mouth. She knew he had been drugging her but she did not know with what.

Sabrina looked around and she could tell she was in some type of an old abandon building.

"Somebody help me-" Sabrina went cold as she felt a hand begin to caress her forehead. She looked up and into those eyes!

"Get-t-t way fo-o-om meeeeee," Sabrina begin to sqwarm and move but the restraints just got tighter...

"Shhhhh!" The man placed one finger on the female doctors lips. "Now, now Sabrina...there's no need to fight it...this won't hurt...much!"

That's when Sabrina saw the shiny metallic instrument that she knew even in her drugged up state was a scalpel.

That last thought Sabrina would ever have before the sharp blade pierced her skin was that she wished her colleague...the FBI agent was here to save her!

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><p>Quantico, Virginia<p>

FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit

Aaron Hotchner's Office

5:36 PM

"So, it says here on your resume that your transferring from the State Department," asked Hotch as he sat across from a well-dressed African-American male. The man's name was Alexander Cooper. He had a light caramel complexion, grey eyes, perfectly long, curly, groomed locks that fell behind his face. He was dressed in a long fitted brown sweater with black slacks.

"Yes, there Criminal Justice Unit," answered Cooper.

Hotch slightly smiled, "I'll be honest with you, most people from the Bureau are trying to transfer to the State Department, not from it."

"At the Office of Criminal Justice, I mostly went after global criminals, genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity that sort of thing. I feel as if we have a lot of criminals here in this country that I want to change focus and what better way than with the infamous BAU."

Hotch continued to read the young man's resume which read like a collegiate advertisement.

"You attended University of Miami majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Communications and Public Relations, recently obtaining your Masters in both fields,"

"Yes."

"An overachiever who is obviously brilliant but does not quite feel as if he has accomplished enough," said Hotch aloud.

Cooper laughed. "Are you profiling me now, agent Hotchner."

Hotch keep his straight stoic face, "No, just thinking you will fit right in. Cruz said I would be impressed," Hotch stood up and extended his hand. "Welcome to the team Special Agent Cooper, as the new BAU Communications Liaison!"

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><p><strong>Author's Note: For those of you wondering about this new agent coming out of no where...trust me there is a reason! More to come! Please review, review, review!<strong>


	3. Blues Alley

**Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for your views and faves and follows and reviews! **

**I do not own Criminal Minds or it's main characters, I just really love the show! Any original characters or story plots do belong to me.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Wellesley Dr. Woodbridge, Virginia<p>

The Ricci Home

5:54 PM

JJ had gotten off of the Interstate and Dale Boulevard and was pulling up on Wellesley Drive as she drove past the single family homes, she couldn't help but think how beautiful and serene the neighborhood was, she hated that her visit had to be under such circumstances.

She finally pulled up to the address, one of the last houses on the street which sat on top of a hill. JJ was on the phone with her husband of two years, William LaMontange, who was a detective with the Maryland Police Department.

"JJ, you know how difficult it was to get these reservations, you begged me for months," protested Will in his deep southern New Orleans accent, which happened to be his hometown.

JJ apologized as she stepped out of the large SUV and closed the door behind her. "I know honey and I am sooo sorry but this case just came up and it's a bad one."

"It's always a bad one. What am I supposed to do with the sitter, she's already on the way," asked Will as he paced around his and JJ's bedroom holding the cordless phone up to his ear.

"Just pay her and apologize for me okay. The good news is, I'm local this time. I'm in Woodbridge, so I should be home tonight. Listen, I gotta go, I love you!"

"I love you too JJ," said Will.

JJ hated when she and Will argued over her demanding job and the fights seemed to be happening more frequently.

JJ walked up the driveway dressed in a low-cut white sweater and grey slacks with grey boots with a thick heel. Her Glock hung in it's holster on her side and her long flowing blond locks bounced as she walked.

She was memorized at the big 3-story home with it's brick infrastructure and 3.09 acres full of green lawns and trees and it even had a jogging trail right next to the house.

JJ wished she and Will could live in something this immaculate yet quiet and quaint. Yes, they both made really decent livings but she knew, this was out of their price range.

JJ walked up the white concrete steps that led to the door and rung the bell and took out her FBI credentials.

After a few seconds the door swung open and an older woman who reminded JJ of Barbara Bush stared back at her. She was pretty, dressed in a matching blouse and skirt that hugged her knees. Her sandy brown hair was styled and her hands were freshly manicured. The diamond necklace around her throat was sparkling bright.

"Mrs. Ricci?"

"Yes?" The woman's voice was firm but full of sorrow.

JJ held up her badge, "I'm Jennifer Jareau. I'm with the FBI's Behavioral Analyst Unit and I'm here to talk to you about your husband."

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><p>Alexandria, Virginia<p>

Alexandria Police Department

6:01 PM

Damien Jones rushed inside the huge station which employed close to five hundred employees but right now... he only needed one!

He saw a female officer sitting behind the front desk and he ran up to her...

"You got to help me! I need to report a missing person," Damien spoke frantically.

The female officer very nonchalantly grabbed a pad and pen and begin writing. "When was the last time you saw or spoke to this person?"

Damien fumbled over his words and wiped the sweat from his forehead before answering. "Um, last night around seven-thirty..."

The female officer stopped writing and looked up...

"I'm sorry sir but we can not file a missing person's report until after 24 hours has past-"

"Look," Damien slammed his hand on the desk. "She was supposed to meet me last night and she never showed. She's not answering her phone, her bed has not been slept in, she did not show up for class today, she's a professor and she did not show up! I know something bad has happened, now you need to talk to her husband because he's been harassing her ever since we got together!"

People close in proximity were now starting to stare.

"Sir, I know you're worried but trust me, most of these people pop us within the first day or so but alright, if your friend does not show in another hour, I will send a unit over to this husband of hers...what is her name?"

"Sabrina Reynolds!"

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><p>Blackburn Road, Woodbridge, Virginia<p>

Ricci Crime Scene

6:04 PM

The black SUV carrying agents Rossi and Morgan pulled up on the deserted dirt wood where the doctors body was discovered. There were woods, tall trees and bushes, grass and weeds stretching for miles.

Rossi and Morgan each stepped out of the vehicle and walked over to where they saw the yellow crime tape and people gathered.

Morgan began to tease his teammate. "Hey Rossi, are you sorry you had to cancel on those two brunettes." Morgan laughed.

"Don't remind me. The perks of this job, just keeps getting better and better" said Rossi.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, Savannah cancelled on me tonight, so it looks like you won't be the only one sleeping alone."

Rossi pointed at the brown-skinned agent. "Youngster, the great David Rossi never sleeps alone...except tonight." He and Morgan laughed.

Along with a few CSI Techs, there were two uniformed officers, both Caucasian, one being older and bald and the other one who was wearing a Campaign hat and looked no older than twenty two, twenty three thought Rossi as he came and shook the young man's hand.

The older bald officer stepped forward and introduced himself.

"Hello gentleman,You two must be with the FBI? I'm Lieutenant Whitaker with the Virginia State Police Crime Unit and this over here is Officer Peacock." The older officer pointed towards the young man.

Rossi shook the man's hand. "I'm SSA David Rossi and that over there is SSA Morgan."

Morgan saluted the officer.

"I thought I would be meeting with your CO Agent Hotchner," asked Lieutenant Whitaker.

Rossi answered. "He's going to meet us at the Police Station."

The Lieutenant nodded his head, "Right over here is where the body was found partially wrapped in a tarp, with only his head or what was left of it anyway exposed. Along with his right arm and both legs."

Morgan made a confused expression and walked back down to the road.

"And over here is where they found boot prints, they think belonged to the perpetrator." Lieutenant Whitaker walked David Rossi up the grassy area next to a tree.

"Our techs say it was a size ten," continued the Lieutenant. "I have them looking into the possible brand of shoe, see if we can narrow down who makes it and where it can be purchased."

Rossi then turned down to the dirt road where Morgan was standing and decided to join him. He could tell in his partners eyes, he was puzzled by something they had just seen.

"What's wrong Morgan?"

"Rossi, how many feet would you say it is from here to where the vic's body was found," asked Morgan as he pointed to the grassy area where the doctors corpse was discovered.

"About 15-20 feet, why do you ask?"

"Even in the pouring rain, there is no way the Unsub couldn't see Officer's Peacock Patrol car coming from up there."

Rossi looked back at the area where the body was found and then back to the road several times, as he contemplated what Morgan had just brilliantly pointed out.

"More importantly Morgan...why couldn't Officer Peacock see the Unsub." Both Rossi and Morgan stared at one another and then turned to look at the young officer, who they could tell by his body language was uncomfortable, which meant most likely, he was... hiding something!

Rossi and Morgan slowly walked up to the officer and the Lieutenant.

"Can you run us through again, what happened last night," asked Rossi.

The lieutenant looked at the young man and then began to answer Rossi's question, only to have the FBI agent stop him...

"I would like to hear the story from Officer Peacock...," countered Rossi. "...The _real_ story."

"Excuse me agent, are you accusing my officer of wrong-doing," snapped the lieutenant in an angry tone.

Rossi turned to the older officer, "No, I'm investigating a murder, that should have had two victims, one of which being your officer. Now, I need to know why someone so meticulous, would leave a cop for an eyewitness, which just may help me find him."

The older man backed down and allowed Rossi to finish his question to Officer Peacock.

"Look, your not in trouble," Rossi assured the young officer who would not look him in the eye. "I just want to know anything that might help us find this guy."

After a few seconds, the young man spoke. "I left something out of my initial report..." The young man's voice trailed off.

Morgan straightened up...

"Go on! You can tell us," said Rossi.

"I kind of...sort of... ran into the suspect," said Officer Peacock.

"What do you mean, you _ran_ into him," asked Lieutenant Whitaker.

A few more seconds passed...

"My radio was on, sort of loud..."

Rossi spoke, "Okay."

"...and on my cell phone," Officer Peacock's voice was full of fear and nervousness.

"So you were distracted," said the Lieutenant, his voice suggesting his frustration.

Officer Peacock slightly nodded and continued, "He just came out of nowhere and ran right into the hood of my car and that's what made me look up and into his eyes...those eyes, they were full of evil!

"Officer, how long have you been patrolling this area," asked Morgan.

"For the past six months, pretty much since I started with the squad. No one else wanted this route," answered the officer.

The Lieutenant spoke up then, "Most of the residents of Woodbridge thinks the creek is hunted, no one comes out here but kids goofing off."

Rossi looked back at the young officer..."So what would make a rookie take a patrol no other officer wanted? Surely, you heard of the local legends?"

The young man looked up and at Rossi and then his supervising agent and then back at Rossi...

"Be-ecause it provided me privacy..see I like rap music and I know all the fuddy dud-dies in town would make it big deal, so my patrol is the only time that I

can listen to it and talk to my girlfriend."

The lieutenant had a confused expression on his face. " I thought you proposed to Jessica?"

"I did," confessed Officer Peacock. "But she's not the one I was talking to.

Lieutenant Whitaker, Rossi and Morgan each looked at one another nodding their heads as they finally understood.

Rossi thanked both men as he and Morgan walked back to their vehicle. Morgan saw the Lieutenant reading the young officer the riot act.

"Rossi, the Unsub wanted us to find this body, he knew what he was doing, he knew Officer Peacock's routine because he had been watching him. He knew he would be distracted and he knew he could get away quickly! Garcia said that this area has acres of woodlands and even an Iron Plantation but the Unsub decides to dump the victim here?" Morgan stretched out his arms.

Rossi knew Morgan was on to something, which could only mean one thing...

"I think you're right Morgan and if our Unsub wanted the body discovered that mean's he wanted law enforcement involved but for what reason?"

* * *

><p>Chief Medical Examiner's Office<p>

Manassas, VA

Ricci Autopsy

6:11 PM

"I'm sorry Ethan but it looks like I won't be able to pick you up from the airport," said Reid as he stood outside the room where the forensic pathologist was waiting to tell him the results of what they found on and in the body of the dead doctor.

"Are you kidding me, the boy with the eidetic memory forgot that his best bud was coming into town," joked Ethan as he walked through the Washington Dulles International Airport.

"I'm sorry but we had a case come up at the last minute..." said Reid.

"So are you telling me that you would rather spend Friday night with a serial killer than with me."

"Umm, let me think about that," Reid teased back.

"Very funny...the genius can crack a joke... not just read 20,000 words per minute," replied Ethan as he grabbed his bags. "So, who the baddie this week?"

"I don't know but we need to find him fast, he's targeting doctors," said Reid.

Ethan decided to change the subject, as he hated delving into Reid's world of psychos.

"Well listen, are you coming home soon?"

"Yes! I am still in Virginia in a town called Woodbridge, I should be home soon... catch a taxi to my apartment and let yourself in, the key is under my welcome mat..."

Ethan paused at his friend's last statement...

"Are you telling me that in 2014 an FBI agent is still leaving a spare key under a door mat!"

"Oh what would any burglar want from my place," interjected Reid. "My _Doctor Who_ DVD's or my extensive library on eighteen century literature."

"We got to get you out more man and why not start tonight, DC has this awesome Jazz club I want to try out called _Blue's Alley_, you heard of it," asked Ethan.

"Of course, it's like the hottest Jazz club in the country," said Reid.

"Okay, well hurry up and catch your bad guy, so we can go and catch up...we have alot to discuss."

As Reid hung up the phone, he wondered what it was that his friend of all these years wanted to discuss with him...before he could ponder this, a woman dressed in a white lab coat and blue scrubs underneath came to the door.

"Dr. Reid? I'm Dr. Vanessa Straitor, the Forensic Pathologist!" The short woman whose complexion reminded Reid of Almond colored milk, extended her hand out for the agent to shake but of course, Reid refused...

"I'm sorry, but I don't shake hands..."

Once, Reid noticed the odd expression that the woman was giving him, he started to educate her on the amount of germs found on the human hand but at that exact moment he could hear Morgan's voice pop into his head telling him to be "normal", so Reid decided to focus on the task at hand!

"So, what can you tell me about the victim?"

Dr. Straitor leaned in closer to the deceased corpse that was lying naked on the cold metal gurney with a huge gaping hole, where his brain used to be...

"You mean other than the fact that he is missing his entire brain!"

"Yes," remarked Reid as he turned from studying the corpse to look at the medical examiner.

"Well, I can tell you that his exact time of death was about 24 hours ago."

Reid quickly deduced that the surgeon died around six pm, which would mean the killer did not immediately dump his body or that he drove from a long distance.

"What is the official cause of death," asked Reid.

"I think you mean what killed him first and that would be ...Exsanguination! Massive blood loss due to a major organ being removed from his body, which also tells me that he was most definitely alive when this was done to him!"

Reid had to pause for a few seconds to compose himself after hearing this...most people assume that he and his fellow agents had grown jaded or rather detached when dealing with these cases but they knew it was quite the contrary...Hotch required, hell, demanded that if any of them ever became jaded that they should resign from the team! Reid knew it was their emotions that helped them solve these cases in such quick succession. Reid himself once got so emotionally involved with a case that he actually found himself empathizing with the Unsub...a teenager that had been bullied by his father and classmates and decided to get revenge by killing them all. Reid connected with the young man and even deceived Hotch and the team on the boy's whereabouts, so he could talk the teenager out of his endgame which Reid knew was... suicide by cop!

The medical examiner continued speaking...

"Even if he hadn't bled out in a matter of seconds, there still would have been immediate function loss to all of his major organs, not to mention his circulatory and respiratory systems as well."

"Doctor correct me if I'm wrong but haven't there been rare cases of children being born with only a functioning brainsteam and living for several years even going on to graduate college," asked Reid.

"Absolutely Dr. Reid! In someone with a dead cerebrum but a living brainstem, the heartbeat and ventilation can continue unaided, whereas in whole-brain death , only life support equipment would keep those functions going. Your killer made sure that was not possible with this victim because in removing the brain, he also severed the Central Nervous System, where the steam connects with the spinal cord."

Reid walked over to the other side of the gurney. "What else can you tell me?"

"Lot's more! For starters, the ligature marks on the wrist and ankles indicates that your vic was restrained most likely with some type of wire. The wire made deep cuts into the skin and then there is this.."

The doctor handed Reid a manila folder with a toxicology report inside.

"We found traces of a powerful neuromuscular blocking agent in the victim's blood," the doctor confirmed.

"Which one?" Reid asked while still reviewing the file.

"Well, the final tox screen will take about 4-6 weeks but my preliminary findings show it appears to be succinylcholine."

Between the knowledge the Unsub displayed in both anatomy and paralytics, Reid definitely knew they were dealing with someone with medical training and now thanks to the medical examiner findings, he now knew part of the killers MO, that he was drugging his victims!"

* * *

><p>Washington Dulles International Airport.<p>

Dulles, VA

Baggage Terminal

6:11 PM

"Of course, it's like the hottest Jazz club in the country," said Reid.

"Okay, we'll hurry up and catch your bad guy, so we can go and catch up...we have alot to discuss."

As Ethan disconnected the phone call, the smile he had just had while speaking to his best bud quickly faded and it was replaced by a look of fear and uncertainly...

Ethan had come to town to share two major secrets with his childhood friend...

The first of which he knew Reid would be most excited to hear, that he had reapplied to the Bureau and was accepted and would be starting the Academy in a few weeks but it was the second secret that he was hoping Reid would equally appreciate!

Ethan had finally built up the courage to tell Reid why he had made it his life's mission to compete with Reid in everything from Spelling Bee's to Science Fairs. Why he showed up to every school Reid attended, majoring in every course of study and why he finally picked up his first bottle of alcohol and never put it down after the fact!

Ethan had come to town to tell his best friend that...he was in love with him!


End file.
